Tag Archives: Childhood

In a doctor’s waiting room, a very talkative grandmother tries to get her granddaughter’s attention. The 15 year old tries to read. The dialogue goes like this:

– You can read your book at home.

– I can read and listen to you at the sane time, grandmother. I finally learned how to do it.

– You can keep your book. In my younger days, I was reading books all night long. I was 18.

– I am 15, grandmother.

– You can still read your book at home. What’s in you backpack?

– School things.

– Look at this! The grandmother seems surprised by the way the girl’s colorful backpack is made.

She then goes on about the lost value of Christmas, her neighbor crazy driving, religious tolerance … .

The appointment was for the young lady. I thought “How sweet! The grandmother accompanied her grandchild!” I almost wished she would never stop talking. I wished she would turn to me to get me to listen while waiting for her granddaughter to come out of the doctor’s office.

Then I got it. It’s their special thing: a 85 year old grandmother – 15 year old granddaughter dialogue, tune, reverberation.

Pourtales Park is at 10 minute bus ride from my home. Yet, our busyness kept it miles away. So one Sunday morning on a beautiful September day, we made it. What a lovely discovery!

The Palace made it through wars and was reinvented and rescued with private investment by Dr. Leibrecht and his family. It is a hotel and an events venue today.

The Park’s trails take you to places with surprises. Thanks to my kid’s previous school trip, we knwe what to look for. But it is also fun if you just walk and let the Park reveal itself. Portales: a place where nature meets art.

staying true to kids-friendliness and all the fun which goes together,

creating royal experiences at Kinder Museum in Schönbrunn with lots of fun for both kids and adults,

your tour train to keep us dry on a rainy morning in the Schönbrunn Park,

gorgeous Gloriette, where Maria Theresa – the only female ruler of Habsburgs, used to have breakfast,

the Sunny afternoon for the Zoo visit and all the delights of meeting cute koala, panda, a baby elephant, baby zebra, my fave pink flamingos and the rest of the rich animal world in the oldest zoo in the world,

a brief hide and seek moment under generous tree branches,

the treasures of the Natural History museum: the 29500 old statue of Venus, huge dinosaur skeletons, largest turtle in the world and many other interactive and child friendly features. And for getting a dinosaur roaring to my face. Scared of nothing now 🙂

the gorgeous Belvedere and coffee&cake with friends to celebrate Sofia and friendship

This piece is sharp as a scalpel. The type of writing to which i secretly aspire to.

Thank you, Jordan Reid, for the inspiration.

***

“Being a parent is different from being a friend, and it’s different from being a boss. You want to be both, but the truth is that you’re neither — you’re something in between, and something much more.”

– You know what I did today, sweetheart? I had a strategic planning workshop.
She is intrigued :). so I continue “It’s a bit like your lego. You need to know what you are building (your objective), how many and what kind of bricks you need (resources), your dinner time a.k.a. process interrupted (constraints), who can help you when you cannot find a brick (partners), the instruction (action plan)… ”
– and at math today …. (she takes over without me asking).

– with pleasure, sweetheart. I would like us to be grateful also for today’s experiences we lived together.

– Thank you, for giving birth to me.

– You brought yourself forth, sweetheart.

By my experience, it is the child who decides when and how she will (be) born. I also believe we choose our parents for an experience or lesson we need. Parents are only a door into the physical universe. Nothing more. Nothing less. The word “Par-ent” sounds to me as meaning entering the world par/throug… .
As a baby, whenever a new sound, smell, thing, person would enter her life she would seek my eyes and look into them to see if it’s safe. To see whether the door shall be opened or closed. The expression on my face would give her clues to understand.

I thank my child for choosing me to be her mom and ask her to help me to be a mother she needs. My motherhood needs are irrelevant. This is her life. Her experience. I hope and try just not to spoil it too much.